Misiekaba: nurses’ salaries to rise to US$ 700 to US$ 1,000 by end of November

Nurses must reach a monthly income of between US$ 700 and US$ 1,000 by the end of November through the salary scale for nurses. Minister André Misiekaba of Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Arbeid announced this on Tuesday, September 15. The government aims to improve the financial position of nurses and prevent more experienced healthcare workers from leaving Suriname.

The stated amount concerns the salary within the new structure. According to Misiekaba, this may be supplemented by allowances for afternoon shifts, on-call duties, transport and overtime. The final monthly income may therefore be higher for each nurse, depending on position, specialisation, work schedule and the allowances to which the employee is entitled.

The increase will be introduced in phases. According to the minister, the bridging allowances will be increased first. In November, these amounts must be grossed up, making them part of the gross salary. The government expects nurses to fall within the announced range of US$ 700 to US$ 1,000 by the end of November.

Salary scale for nurses must be visible by the end of November

The new announcement provides more clarity on the amount and the time when nurses should notice the improvement on their payslips. The salary scale for nurses is part of a broader revaluation of healthcare staff, in which not only the base salary, but also training, responsibility and specialist duties must carry greater weight.

The government, healthcare institutions and trade unions signed an agreement on the introduction of the new salary structure on September 8. Key News previously reported on that agreement, involving, among others, Academisch Ziekenhuis Paramaribo, ’s Lands Hospitaal, Psychiatrisch Centrum Suriname, Mungra Medisch Centrum, Sint Vincentius Ziekenhuis and Regionale Gezondheidsdienst.

From proposal to concrete amounts

The discussion on a new salary structure has been ongoing for some time. In February, a working group was established to review the remuneration of healthcare staff. In June, Misiekaba reported in De Nationale Assemblée (Suriname’s parliament) that the working group’s final report had been submitted and that the proposals were being assessed from a technical and policy perspective. The government had already indicated at the time that higher salaries should be an important tool against the outflow of healthcare personnel.

It had also previously become clear that the new structure affects hundreds of positions in healthcare. Key News reported in August that more than 300 healthcare positions had to be reviewed. This means that the final classification will not be the same for every employee and that training, job profile and responsibility will play a greater role.

By the end of November, nurses must earn between US$ 700 and US$ 1,000 per month.

Higher education must lead to higher pay

According to Misiekaba, the salary scale for nurses explicitly distinguishes between support services, nursing assistants, nurses and specialised nurses. The more training an employee has completed and the greater the responsibilities they carry, the higher the salary should be. The government aims to move away from a situation in which differences in education and specialisation are insufficiently reflected in remuneration.

The minister particularly emphasises the importance of specialised nurses. Staff with additional training and practical experience are needed in neonatal care, intensive care and operating theatres. When such workers leave, their knowledge cannot be replaced immediately. According to him, this makes the staff shortage not only a quantitative problem, but also a loss of specialist experience.

Nearly one thousand nurses have left

Misiekaba states that nearly one thousand nurses left Surinamese healthcare between 2019 and 2025. “Those people are almost irreplaceable. We will do everything to stop this brain drain,” the minister says. According to him, the salary scale for nurses is therefore an important step, but not the only measure needed to retain staff.

The ministry has also examined other causes of departures in recent months. In June, the ministry organised a workshop on brain drain attended by 106 nurses from various healthcare institutions. Income and employment conditions were discussed, as well as working conditions, housing, training opportunities, personnel policy and opportunities for professional advancement. The government previously published a statement on the approach to brain drain in healthcare.

Hospital daily rates must help finance higher salaries

An important issue remains the financing of higher personnel costs. Misiekaba says that current hospital daily rates no longer correspond to actual costs. According to calculations he refers to, a market-based daily rate would be in the order of US$ 200. An adjustment of these rates must give hospitals more financial room to cover, among other things, the new salaries.

The minister has not yet fully explained how the higher daily rates will be divided among the government, insurers and other financiers. This will be an important part of further implementation, because higher revenues for hospitals must ultimately be structurally available if the new salaries are to be paid sustainably. It will also have to become clear how it will be prevented that the financing puts access to hospital care under pressure.

175 nurses to receive accelerated specialist training

In addition to the salary scale for nurses, the government wants to address the shortage of specialised staff through additional training. From October, a programme is to start in cooperation with the Netherlands under which 175 nurses will be trained as specialised healthcare workers within a year. Work is also under way to expand the training capacity of Elsje Finck Sanichar College COVAB.

The government is thus trying to intervene on two fronts: retain experienced nurses and train new specialised staff. Misiekaba says Suriname must ultimately also create conditions under which nurses who have left for abroad may consider returning. “We want to ensure that the nurses who have stayed do not leave. And that those who have left can return,” the minister said.

Final classification remains decisive

The coming months must show exactly how the salary scale for nurses will be applied for each position and healthcare institution. The final classification, the grossing-up of the bridging allowances and financing through adjusted healthcare rates will in particular determine how much nurses will actually see on their payslips by the end of November.

For healthcare workers, the concrete amount is now the main news: the government mentions a monthly income for nurses of US$ 700 to US$ 1,000, excluding various additional allowances. Implementation in November will be the first major test of whether the announced revaluation will actually lead to a structural improvement in remuneration and staff retention in Surinamese healthcare.